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Thursday, April 13, 2017

Heroes All Around

In April 1942, American and Filipino allies were captured
by the Japanese following the Battle of Bataan.
They were forced to march over 60 miles to the prisioner of war camp
they would be kept. Of the estimated
80,000 POWs at the march, only 54,000 made it to Camp O'Donnell.

This came to be known as The Bataan Death March.

The Bataan Death March had a large impact on the U.S.
state of New Mexico, given that many of the U.S. soldiers in Bataan were from
New Mexico, specifically from the 200th/515th Coast Artillery of the National
Guard. The New Mexico National Guard Bataan Memorial Museum is located in the
Armory where the soldiers of the 200th and 515th were processed before their
deployment to the Philippines in 1941. (Wiki)

Every year, in early spring, the Bataan Memorial Death
March, a 26.2-mile march/run (marathon) is conducted at White Sands Missile
Range, New Mexico. On March 19th 2017, over 6,300 participants queued up at the
starting line for the 28th annual event, breaking not only all previous records
of attendance but also the amount of non-perishable food collected for local
food pantries and overall charitable goods donated.

The above are runners from this year's marathon.

And these two ladies in red are my friends from Team Red, White, and Blue. They ran the marathon this year. I am so proud of them I could pop.

But that is not the only awesomeness of the day.

Survivors of the Bataan Death March were there to cheer the runners on! Seven came this year.

Here's a group photo of these heroes.

Did I hear you say, "That is only six men."?

You'd would be right.

Where is the 7th man?

99 year old survivor Ben Skardon was WALKING the first 8.5 miles of the course!!! He did the route in 4 hours and 2 seconds... his personal best. (He's done this for the last 10 years).

Skardon says that as long as he’s able, he will keep
making his pilgrimage to the desert each year. It’s his sacred responsibility.

“I get focused. I even think of things I haven’t thought
about in years, [but] it’s not a time for meditation. I don’t try to think of
all the ramifications,” he explained. “My debt to Henry Leitner and Otis Morgan
is heavy. It cannot be repaid. People ask me, ‘How can you account for being
alive when your best friends are dead?’
I say, ‘I can’t.’”

About Me

Hello and welcome! This is where I share a little bit of my adventures I have in this big beautiful world. The two kiddos with me are my niece "Little Bird" and nephew "Little Hoss". They are one of my adventures… I’m an auntie. Oh the fun we have!
I am also a wife, a Christ follower, a traveler, a cook, a photographer, a student of new and interesting things, a mini philanthropist, and a pursuer of dreams.